Egg rolls, crab puffs, and mini-sausages wrapped in phyllo dough? Forget it. The Bridezilla wedding demands the finest cuisine whether it’s on the dinner plate, offered up by cute roaming waiters, or in the form of wasabi peanuts at the bar to encourage everyone to drink faster and make that top shelf open bar worth the expense. When you’re on the hunt for the best caterer in town (or out of town), make sure they make at least one of the following to ensure that you’re serving only the most au courant hors d’oeuvres.
1. Sushi. Oh god, sushi, do we even need to say it? A platter full of rainbow rolls, toro, and unagi looks as fabulous circulating the reception hall as it sounds. Don’t even fret if you like your fish cooked or actually non-existent; veggie sushi (pictured, from NY’s Sumile Sushi) is a great way to serve up delicious appetizers in a tasty, trendy shape, and you can’t go wrong with classic California rolls.
2. Antipasto. Thin slivers of proscuitto wrapped around figs, salami and squares of cheese, bruschetta with tomatoes and olive oil – we’d gladly make a meal out of just Italian appetizers, but as it is they make quite an impression served as finger food as guests mill around. Tiny sandwiches of squares of ciabatta, fresh mozzarella, and tomato are a sophisticated crowd-pleaser as well.
3. Tapas. If you’d rather your hors d’oeuvres have a more Spanish flavor, pass around trays of calamares, croquetas, allioli, and patatas bravas. Best for the carnivorous wedding, these spicy snacks will surely get the guests ready to salsa the night away. They go well with wine and beer, too, if you’re skipping the harder liquor at your bar.
4. Dim sum. Avoid the corner Chinese food stigma by serving a few of the less common dim sum dishes like tiny Shanghai steamed buns filled with pork, taro dumplings, or lotus leaf rice. A cute touch is a round of tiny cups of hot flowering tea brought around afterwards. (Just please, skip the Phoenix talons this time around.)
5. Shots. Oh sure, it’s a little unorthodox, but a round of shots before dinner will certainly get the conversation flowing and ensure that the people you sat together like each other even if they’ve never met. Consider the Brandy Cookie or Hot Chocolate for sweetness, the tart and tasty Lemon Drop, or the refreshing Mint Aero.
